Verizon is about to launch preorders for the weird LG Wing smartphone

Verizon is boasting that it will be the first wireless carrier in the United States to offer LG's strange new Wing smartphone, a model that features two displays with a pivoting arrangement. If you're nostalgic for old school phones that had hidden, sliding keyboards, it's easy to see the LG Wing's appeal — you can get all of the benefits of swiping on a small keyboard with the visual real estate of landscape mode.

If you've been using mobile phones long enough, there's a good chance that at one point in time, you used a phone that had a physical keyboard. These phones differed from traditional candy bar-style phones by offering a full miniature QWERTY keyboard hidden behind the display and accessible via hinges. A full keyboard made it easier to type out text messages and emails.

Of course, society soon transitioned to touchscreens, which have many of their own benefits. LG aims to combine the best of both worlds with its unusual LG Wing smartphone, which has a larger display that pivots 90-degrees, revealing a smaller secondary display.

Verizon will start accepting pre-orders for this model on October 1, it announced in a new video showing off ways consumers could use the double-screen arrangement. Examples include using the bottom screen for typing messages while watching a video in full screen on the larger panel, using the smaller screen for camera controls, and browsing business information while navigation is up on the bigger screen.

The LG Wing with support for Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband will be available starting on October 15 with a full retail price tag of $999.99 USD. The company will offer this model on its 24-month Device Payment Plan for $41.66/month.

The company is offering various perks for getting the phone, such as up to $750 for those who add a line of certain Unlimited plans and buy the LG Wing with select trade-ins. Customers who buy this phone and port in a number are offered up to a $250 eGift card, while certain Unlimited customers who trade-in an eligible phone for the LG Wing will be offered up to $500.